Machine for washing fabrics

ABSTRACT

A new machine for washing fabrics is disclosed, having a washing chamber housed within a stationary tank and capable of swinging around a fixed axle. The fabric is continuously fed at an end of said chamber and comes out from the opposite end, the opposite walls of said chamber having an increasing relative distance from the first to the second end, and the cross section of said chamber along a plane perpendicular to said fixed axle having a substantially semicircular shape. Said washing chamber is provided with a set of blades, opposite and alternatively disposed with respect to a second set of blades which are integral with said stationary tank, and is also provided with a plurality of holes. The solvent contained in the tank, during the swinging movement of the washing chamber, is dragged by said blades to cross alternatively the opposite walls of said chamber through said plurality of holes, whereby the washing operation is improved. Guiding rolls and prewashing devices are also provided upstream of the washing chamber and drying rolls and spraying devices for additional washing are further provided downstream of said washing chamber.

United States Patent [72] Inventor Felice Garzotto OTHER REFERENCES German Printed Application D 19828 VII/8a Dungler, Oct. [2]] Appl. NO. 18,138 4 1956 [22] Filed Mar. 10,1970 [45] Patented Jan. 4, 1972 Primary ExammerW1ll1aml. Pnce [73] Assignee Rimar S.p.A. Attorney-Brooks, l-laidt & Haffner Trissino (Vicenza), ltaly 55% Pnomy h s 1969 ABSTRACT: A new machine for washing fabrics is disclosed, [3 I 1 5 having a washing chamber housed within a stationary tank and capable of swinging around a fixed axle. The fabric is continuously fed at an end of said chamber and comes out from the [54] MACHINE FOR WASHING FABRICS opposite end, the opposite walls of said chamber having an in- 6 Chi 1 D i Fi creasing relative distance from the first to the second end, and 2 I the cross section of said chamber along a plane perpendicular [5 1 I q e e q e e e a e e e e e a e e I e a e e e I e e e e .eg- 5 a 51 I C] 6 I g 178 Said washing chamber is provided with a set of blades, opd alternatively disposed respect to a Second Set 1 le 0 1 of blades which are integral with said stationary tank, and is also provided with a plurality of holes. The solvent contained 56 R f C-ted in the tank, during the swinging movement of the washing I UNITE]; 2 3 ILATENTS chamber, is dragged by said blades to cross alternatively the opposite walls of said chamber through said plurality of holes, 1,917,065 7/1933 Rlfsden 68/62 whereby the washing operation is improved. Guiding rolls and 3,303,676 2/1967 Wm 68/62 X prewashing devices are also provided upstream of the washing 3,359,763 12/1967 Koshino 68/155 chamber and drying rolls and spraying devices f additional FOREIGN PATENTS washing are further provided downstream of said washing 244.287 10/1969 U.S.S.R. 68/178 chamberh- 7fi:1 git '50 45 24 A 48 Z I j 51 0 ca P .5

MACHINE FOR WASHING FABRICS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to machines for washing fabrics, and more particularly to machines for washing continuously fed fabrics.

The washing machines for continuously fed fabrics, known in the prior art, are generally of the type in which the fabric is dipped into and caused to pass through a bath of solvent, being driven by appropriate guide rolls. The results of this type of washing machine however are not at all satisfactory, since no mechanical action is effected on the fabric to be washed. On the other hand, the washing machines of the rotating type, known in the art, which effect a mechanical action on the articles within the rotating basket, are unsuitable for continuously fed fabrics.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a machine for washing continuously fed fabrics of whichever type, which is very simple and convenient from the point of view of both its construction and operation. Another object of the present invention is that notwithstanding the simplicity of construction and operation, this machine ensures an excellent washing of the fabric, which is subjected to a mechanical action.

The machine for washing fabrics according to the present invention is essentially characterized in that it includes a chamber or basket housed in a stationary tank containing a solvent, where for solvent is meant here and hereinafter any type of organic solvent or water, said chamber being fed with the fabric to be washed, which leaves the chamber once the washing operation has ended, means to support said chamber so that same can perform a swinging movement and means for causing the chamber to swing, the walls of the latter being provided with small holes allowing the solvent to pass through them in order to wash the fabric contained in the chamber. The machine according to the present invention further includes a first set of blades which are integral with the body of said swinging chamber and situated outside of said chamber on two opposite walls thereof, and a second set of blades which are integral with two opposite walls of said stationary tank and situated respectively in correspondence with the blades arranged on the two opposite walls of the swinging chamber, said blades being arranged in such a way that, on each of the two opposite walls of the swinging chamber, the blades which are integral with the chamber are distributed alternatively with respect to the blades which are integral with the tank so that during the swinging movement of the chamber there are formed between the fixed and the movable blades alternatively increasing and decreasing volumes, the blades being moreover arranged in such a way that each increasing volume on one side of the chamber corresponds to a decreasing volume on the opposite side of the chamber and vice versa, so that the solvent passes from each decreasing volume on one side of the chamber to the corresponding increasing volume on the opposite side of the chamber while crossing said chamber and thus washing the fabric, means being provided to move the fabric forwards into the chamber, which fabric thus enters the chamber at one end thereof and leaves the chamber, after having been washed, at the opposite end of the same.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT These and other particular characteristics of the machine according to the present invention will become more evident from the following description which illustrates by way of nonlimiting example a preferred embodiment of the machine according to the invention, with reference to the attached drawing which shows a schematic elevational view, partly in section, of the machine according to the invention.

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With reference to the drawing, the machine comprises a stationary frame 11 and a tank indicated as a whole by 12 which is integral with the stationary frame 1 1.

More particularly, the tank 12 includes two walls 13 and 14. Adequately spaced-apart blades, indicated as 4, are integral with said walls 13 and 14. The inner part of the stationary tank 12 is equipped with a chamber or basket indicated as a whole by 1, including two opposite walls 15 and 16 externally supporting the blades 17 which are integral with said walls.

It can be seen that the blades 4 and 17 are arranged alternatively on each of the two opposite walls of the chamber or basket 1, outside of the same and within the tank 12. The walls 15 and 16 of the chamber 1 are each provided with a plurality of holes, the purpose of which is to allow the solvent to pass through said holes.

A rod-crank system 5'-5 is capable of causing a lever 18 to swing. Said lever may rotate (or rather swing) around an axle Z which is integral with the frame 11. The lever 18 is connected to the chamber or basket I, so as to impart to the chamber a swinging movement around said axle Z on which the lever is pivoted.

It can be observed that the walls 15 and 16 of the chamber 1 show a variable distance; namely, the distance between said walls, which is minimum at the end A of the chamber, regularly increases until ti reaches its maximum value at the end B of the chamber.

The fabric to be washed, which is indicated by 19, passes between enlarging rolls 7, then over a roll 20 and penetrates into the chamber or basket 1 and passes over the rolls 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26 at the outlet of the chamber.

28 and 29 indicate two pumps for recycling the solvent as will be better explained hereinafter.

The machine works substantially as follows. The fabric 19 passes between the rolls 7 and over the roll 20, whereafter it enters the chamber 1. A device, schematically represented in 30, directs a jet of solvent onto the fabric to effect a prewashing of same. Said solvent is drawn by the pump 29 from the tank 12 through a pipe 31 and is fed through the pipes 32 and 33, with the aid of said pump, to the device 30. As the motor which rotates the crank 5 is working, the lever 18 swings around the axle Z and at the same time the chamber or basket 1 is also swinging around the same axle Z. It can be observed that in correspondence with each of the two opposite walls 15 and 16 of the swinging chamber 1, and precisely between the wall itself'and the wall of the stationary tank 12, increasing and decreasing volumes are formed between the movable blades 17 and the fixed blades 4, whenever the chamber 1 rotates in a given sense; the decreasing volumes are alternated with the increasing volumes. It can be observed moreover that if considering any decreasing volume whatsoever in correspondence with one side of the chamber 1, e.g., volume C, same corresponds to an increasing volume on the opposite side, (volume D in this case) so that from volume C, the solvent is compelled to penetrate into the chamber 1 through the holes and consequently, the solvent crossing said chamber, arrives into the increasing volume D, also through the holes of the chamber 1. In other words, there is a pump effect causing streams of solvent to cross the chamber or basket 1 containing the pleated fabric 19 in a substantially radial direction, alternatively inlone sense and in the other. As a result, the fabric is washed by said streams of solvent; when the solvent is water obviously contains an appropriate detergent. When rotating in the sense of the arrow F, the chamber 1, owing to the smaller size of the end A drags a portion of fabric 19; on the contrary, when the chamber 1 rotates in the sense opposite to that of the arrow F, precisely owing to said variable distance between the walls 15 and 16, a relative movement is caused between the chamber 1 and the fabric, so that as a result the fabric is driven forwards, i.e., a portion thereof comes out of the end B. At the outlet of the chamber 1, the fabric passes over said rolls 22 and 23. The rolls 22 and 23 are hollow and are provided with holes on their surface; a depression is caused inside these rolls thus involving an airstream which crosses the fabric. As a consequence, the fabric undergoes a first drying over the roll 22, whereafter it is sprayed with solvent by a device 34; said solvent is supplied through a pipe 8 by a distillator (not shown for the sake of simplicity) which in turn receives the solvent through the pipes 35 and 3 under the action of a pump 28.

As the air is sucked into the roll 23, the fabric is dried again, whereafter it passes over the rolls 24, 25, 26. In the attached drawing, 2 indicates the solvent or the detergent solution (in case of water) for washing the fabric. In the same drawing, the pleats of the piece of fabric are indicated as 10. it should be observed that the solvent which is sprayed onto the fabric upstream and downstream of said chamber or basket falls again into the tank and is thus recovered. Of course, in addition to the example of embodiment which has been described hereinabove, many modifications thereof are practicable without exceeding the scope of the present invention.

What is claimed is:

l. A machine for washing fabrics, which comprises:

a. a washing chamber housed in a stationary tank containing a solvent, wherein the fabric to be washed enters and from which comes out once it is washed,

b. means for supporting said washing chamber allowing same to effect a swinging movement around an axle,

c. means for causing said chamber to swing, the walls of the latter being provided with a plurality of holes,

(1. a first set of blades which are integral with the body of said swinging chamber and situated outside and on two opposite walls thereof,

e. a second set of blades which are integral with two opposite walls of said stationary tank respectively in correspondence with the blades situated on the two opposite walls of said swinging chamber,

f. means for moving forwards into said washing chamber the fabric to be washed, whereby the latter enters said chamber at one end and leaves it at the opposite end,

2. A machine according to claim 1, wherein said first set of blades which are integral with said chamber are distributed alternatively with respect to said second set of blades which are integral with said stationary tank, whereby during the swinging movement of said chamber, alternatively increasing and decreasing volumes are formed between the fixed blades and the movable ones, each increasing volume on one side of said chamber corresponding to a decreasing volume on the opposite side of said chamber and vice versa, whereby the solvent is subjected to a pump effect.

3. A machine according to claim 1, wherein said axle around which said washing chamber effects a swinging movement is horizontal and is stationary with respect to the frame of said machine, the cross section of said chamber and the cross section of said tank along a plane which is perpendicular to said axle having a substantially semicircular shape, their center being situated on said axle.

4. A machine according to claim 3, wherein said means for moving forwards the fabric is that the relative distance between the two opposite walls of said chamber provided with blades, showing said substantially semicircular cross section, is increasing from the inlet end where the fabric to be washed is fed towards the outlet end from which the washed fabric comes out, whereby as said chamber rotates in the sense of increasing distance the fabric is drawn forward and as said chamber rotates in the opposite sense, a relative movement is made possible between the walls of the chamber and the fabric.

5. A machine according to claim 1, further comprising means for drawing liquid solvent from said tank and spraying said solvent onto the fabric, upstream of said chamber, whereby said fabric is prewashed by said solvent, which drops then again by gravity into said tank.

6. A machine according to claim 1, further comprising, downstream of said chamber: (a) two hollow cylinders provided with a plurality of holes, (b) means for causing a depression inside of said cylinders, whereby the fabric which passes over said cylinders is crossed by an airstream, (c) means for drawing so vent from said tank, and (d) means for conveying said solvent firstly to a distillator and subsequently onto the washed fabric in a position between said two hollow cylinders, said solvent dropping then again into said tank. 

1. A machine for washing fabrics, which comprises: a. a washing chamber housed in a stationary tank containing a solvent, wherein the fabric to be washed enters and from which comes out once it is washed, b. means for supporting said washing chamber allowing same to effect a swinging movement around an axle, c. means for causing said chamber to swing, the walls of the latter being provided with a plurality of holes, d. a first set of blades which are integral with the body of said swinging chamber and situated outside and on two opposite walls thereof, e. a second set of blades which are integral with two opposite walls of said stationary tank respectively in correspondence with the blades situated on the two opposite walls of said swinging chamber, f. means for moving forwards into said washing chamber the fabric to be washed, whereby the latter enters said chamber at one end and leaves it at the opposite end.
 2. A machine according to claim 1, wherein said first set of blades which are integral with said chamber are distributed alternatively with respect to said second set of blades which are integral wiTh said stationary tank, whereby during the swinging movement of said chamber, alternatively increasing and decreasing volumes are formed between the fixed blades and the movable ones, each increasing volume on one side of said chamber corresponding to a decreasing volume on the opposite side of said chamber and vice versa, whereby the solvent is subjected to a pump effect.
 3. A machine according to claim 1, wherein said axle around which said washing chamber effects a swinging movement is horizontal and is stationary with respect to the frame of said machine, the cross section of said chamber and the cross section of said tank along a plane which is perpendicular to said axle having a substantially semicircular shape, their center being situated on said axle.
 4. A machine according to claim 3, wherein said means for moving forwards the fabric is that the relative distance between the two opposite walls of said chamber provided with blades, showing said substantially semicircular cross section, is increasing from the inlet end where the fabric to be washed is fed towards the outlet end from which the washed fabric comes out, whereby as said chamber rotates in the sense of increasing distance the fabric is drawn forward and as said chamber rotates in the opposite sense, a relative movement is made possible between the walls of the chamber and the fabric.
 5. A machine according to claim 1, further comprising means for drawing liquid solvent from said tank and spraying said solvent onto the fabric, upstream of said chamber, whereby said fabric is prewashed by said solvent, which drops then again by gravity into said tank.
 6. A machine according to claim 1, further comprising, downstream of said chamber: (a) two hollow cylinders provided with a plurality of holes, (b) means for causing a depression inside of said cylinders, whereby the fabric which passes over said cylinders is crossed by an airstream, (c) means for drawing solvent from said tank, and (d) means for conveying said solvent firstly to a distillator and subsequently onto the washed fabric in a position between said two hollow cylinders, said solvent dropping then again into said tank. 